It”s election season, in case that wasn”t obvious already.
That means local, state and national elections will take place over the year. On campus, it”s the ASUI election season. Candidates vying for open senate seats and the president”s office have been campaigning for two weeks now. The election season for ASUI may be shorter than the national election season, but that doesn”t mean it”s not important.
Tess Fox
Argonaut
One topic that seems to be in every forum session is student spaces. I don”t know about anyone else, but I think we”ve got enough student spaces. The Bruce Pitman Center, the Administration Building, the TLC and Idaho Commons, the library – there is a lot of space for students on campus. This list doesn”t even include all the little hidey-holes across campus where students can find some peace and quiet. The first floor of the library was just revamped to give students more areas to study and hang out.
My personal favorite is the foreign language department. The space is always empty and silent except for the squeaking hardwood floor.
Instead of building more areas for students, why aren”t ASUI candidates campaigning for renovations to old, outdated buildings?
The arts colleges, like the Lionel Hampton School of Music and the College of Art and Architecture have small budgets and would never be able to afford a whole-building renovation. The music building floor is always missing tiles, and I don”t think they have bought new furniture since the “70s. There doesn”t seem to be any sort of air circulation in the rooms downstairs. It”s always 80 degrees with 100 percent humidity, and I can attest it is impossible to retain music theory information when I can practically hear everyone sweating their butts off.
The staircases are narrow. The main rehearsal room is falling apart. Every year posters are used to cover up all of the dents in the walls, but there are so many that it”s pointless now.
When prospective students tour the building, they”re looking at the facilities as much as they”re looking at how the teachers teach and what degrees are offered.
In the Art and Architecture South building, many of the same problems exist. Lack of air circulation affects the top and bottom floor. If it”s 70 degrees outside, it”s 100 degrees indoors. During winter the heating is great, but as the weather gets warmer it is a curse. Both buildings also feature water fountains that spew warm, yellow water.
The Navy ROTC unit has its problems, too. They have been crammed into Mary Forney Hall after losing their building two years ago. These students are training to commission and protect our country. They deserve the proper facilities to work and train. If anyone deserves a new space, it”s them.
New things are fun. A new building on campus means fresh carpet and chairs without stains. But many parts of our campus are overdue for a renovation. Rather than build more, making an investment in existing buildings would be a better use of time and money.
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos